Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-07

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You live in a small apartment building with a parking lot in back, and you often cannot find an empty parking space when you get home from work.

Write a letter to your landlord. In your letter
• describe the situation.
• explain why it bothers you.
• suggest something the landlord could do to solve the problem.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ____

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear landlor,

I'm Giulia, currently living at the Smith building, address 7/2 Perkins Lane, Unit 6.

I'm writing this letter to address an issue I'm facing since I've been living in the neighboorhood, related to the car park.

As you know, the local area is really busy because of the Griffith University, Griffith Hospitay, as well as Coles supermaket nearby, bringing people to the region 24/7.

The Smith building parking lot is located in the back of the street, exaclty where these three main points are located, making it impossible to find a parking lot any time.

My work gives me the possibility of having lunch at home, around 12pm. At this time, getting a park lot is really hard.

Is it possible to move the cark park location for different street which is not the same of these three points? This way would be easier for the residences to park their cars.

Looking forward to hear from you,

Giulia.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you describe difficulty finding a space, explain that the busy surroundings contribute to the problem, and ask whether the parking area could be moved. The reference to returning at lunchtime gives a specific example of the inconvenience. However, the explanation of why this bothers you is only partly developed: you do not clearly describe the practical impact on your routine, and the proposed solution is not very feasible because relocating a shared car park may be outside the landlord’s control. Suggesting measures such as resident-only spaces or clearer parking rules would make the request more actionable. The purpose is clear, but some ideas need fuller explanation and a more realistic proposal.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter follows a generally understandable order: you introduce the issue, describe the busy area, give an example of when parking is difficult, and make a request. This gives the reader a basic progression. However, the ideas are presented in separate short paragraphs without a clear distinction between the situation, its effect on you, and the proposed action. Some links are also unclear: “these three main points” refers back to the university, hospital, and supermarket, while “This way” does not explain how moving the car park would be arranged. Use clearer paragraphing and linking phrases, and make the relationship between the busy surroundings and the lack of resident spaces explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “parking lot,” “local area,” and “residences,” and the reader can understand the main concern. However, several spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural phrases reduce accuracy, such as “landlor,” “neighboorhood,” “exaclty,” and “park lot.” “The Smith building parking lot is located in the back of the street” is also unclear as a description of the location. Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations, such as “parking space” and “at the rear of the building.” A slightly wider range of precise terms for the problem and possible solutions would help you express the request more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, for example, “As you know, the local area is really busy because of…” and the sentence beginning “The Smith building parking lot is located…”. The main meaning is usually understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity and naturalness. In “I'm writing this letter to address an issue I'm facing since I've been living,” the tense combination is awkward; “I have faced since moving here” would be clearer. The question “Is it possible to move the cark park location for different street” needs a more accurate structure, such as “Would it be possible to move the car park to a different street?” Check articles, prepositions, and sentence punctuation, while continuing to practise varied sentence patterns.

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